# ChessX vs Active Chess

The clearest difference is update cadence: ChessX at weekly against Active Chess's every 39 months. On price, rating, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. ChessX sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and Active Chess sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for ChessX against 5.0 for Active Chess. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 1 respectively.

ChessX ships an update weekly, Active Chess every 39 months. Both last shipped on November 3, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | ChessX | Active Chess |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chessx-chess-rpg-arena/id6444058870/reviews) | [5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/active-chess/id6449165496/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **2** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 39 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 89 MB | 4 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [ChessX, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1652000696) | [Alexey Polunin](https://appshunter.io/developer/1541894864) |

## What reviewers say

### ChessX

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chessx-chess-rpg-arena/id6444058870)

This app transforms chess into an RPG adventure, allowing you to collect heroes, uncover their stories, and learn chess through engaging gameplay. It offers live matches, daily puzzles, and boss fights for a fun learning experience.

**Highlights:** Collect and customize heroes, Uncover hero backstories, Learn chess through RPG gameplay, Daily puzzles and boss fights, Real-time online matches, Fast matchmaking

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 10000 coins | $0.99 | one-time |
| Espresso | $1.99 | one-time |
| 52500 coins | $4.99 | one-time |
| Americano | $9.99 | one-time |
| Super Pass | $14.99 | one-time |
| Cappuccino | $19.99 | one-time |
| 230000 coins | $19.99 | one-time |
| Large Latte | $49.99 | one-time |
| 600000 coins | $49.99 | one-time |
| Pizza Party | $99.99 | one-time |


### Active Chess

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/active-chess/id6449165496)

Experience a unique chess variant with randomized starting positions and modified rules for dynamic gameplay. Develop your strategic thinking and planning skills in this engaging board game.

**Highlights:** Randomized starting positions, Modified chess rules, Strategic gameplay, Cognitive skill development, Choice of board sizes, Play against a chess bot

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlimited Positions 1 Week | $0.99 | per 7 days |
| Unlimited Positions 1 Month | $1.99 | per month |
| Unlimited Positions 3 Month | $4.99 | per 3 months |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is ChessX free?

ChessX is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Active Chess free?

Active Chess is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, ChessX or Active Chess?

ChessX and Active Chess are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 2 and 1 ratings respectively.

### Do ChessX or Active Chess have ads?

Neither ChessX nor Active Chess shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, ChessX or Active Chess?

ChessX ships an update weekly, and Active Chess every 39 months. Most recently, ChessX was updated on November 3, 2026 and Active Chess on November 3, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*